With large gatherings off the table until a vaccine or highly-effective treatment is developed and bars currently closed to the public under the current Illinois "stay-at-home" order, it should come as no surprise that Illinois Craft Beer Week has been postponed indefinitely. The annual celebration of local beer was originally scheduled for May 15–22, but all of the tap takeovers, tastings and events (including the beloved Beer Under Glass festival at the Garfield Park Conservatory) have been scrubbed until further notice.
Thankfully, the lockdown hasn't deprived us of great local beer, with many Chicago breweries offering beer pickup and delivery while bars are closed and liquor stores are operating with a 9pm curfew. Throughout the month of May, the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild (the folks behind Illinois Craft Beer Week) are encouraging residents to continue supporting their local breweries with the launch of its Passport At Home program.
The initiative is inspired by the Drink Illinois Summer Passport, which in years past has allowed beer lovers to collect stamps when visiting taprooms through Illinois and earn prizes and perks along the way. Since taprooms are closed, the more than 100 Illinois breweries taking part in the Passport At Home program (including nearly 20 in Chicago, listed below) will distribute miniature frames to customers purchasing beer, merchandise or gift cards from May 8 through June 4.
Customers can snap a photo of their purchase with the frame and post it on social media, making sure to tag the brewery and use the hashtag #passportathome. Every Friday (May 15, 22, 29 and June 5), the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild will randomly select a participant and award them a $25 gift card to the brewery of their choice.
Take a look at all of the participating Chicago breweries below and order a few more cold ones for a chance to win some craft beer cash.
- All Rise Brewing
- Begyle Brewing
- Dovetail Brewery
- Eris Brewery and Ciderhouse
- Goose Island Brewhouse
- Haymarket Pub & Brewery
- Hopewell Brewing Company
- Lake Effect Brewing Company
- Lo Rez Brewing
- Maplewood Brewery
- Marz Community Brewing
- Old Irving Brewing Co.
- Pilot Project Brewing
- Revolution Brewing (Kedzie)
- Spiteful Brewing
- Twisted Hippo
- Urban Renewal Brewery
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